Morning Skate Report: Looking to Begin Break on High Note

With one game remaining before the Colorado Avalanche has nine days off for the NHL All-Star Break and the team's league-mandated bye week, the team has a chance to go into the break in third place in the Central Division.
Colorado hosts the Minnesota Wild tonight in a Division Rival Night matchup at Pepsi Center before getting some time away from the rink.
Minnesota is currently in third place in the Central Division with 53 points and a 25-21-3 mark, while the Avs are tied with the Dallas Stars for fourth with 52 points.

"Guys are going to enjoy getting away from the game regardless. The two points are the most important thing tonight, so it's not really about our mindset going into the break," said head coach Jared Bednar. "I think it is just about trying to earn these two points and leapfrog a team in the standings."
Colorado is 1-1-0 against Minnesota this year, winning the first outing 4-1 on opening night (Oct. 4) at Pepsi Center but falling 3-2 on Oct. 27 at Xcel Energy Center. The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Avalanche in the series.
The Avs have won the last three home games against Minnesota, outscoring the Wild 18-4 during the stretch.
"They present a unique challenge more so than some other teams," Bednar said of Minnesota. "They like to bring the puck to the net down low in the offensive zone, so they are tough to defend down around the front of your net. Certainly, owning the 10-foot, 12-foot area in front of our net becomes even more important against the Minnesota Wild, and something that we have talked about already and looked at some video on. On the other side of it, [we have to] continue to build on what we did the other night against Nashville in the first 30 minutes of the game especially."

Colorado is coming off a strong effort on Monday, as the Avs outshot the Nashville Predators 36-27 but fell 4-1 to the division foe at Pepsi Center.
"We definitely felt like we deserved better than the last game against the Preds, and we felt like we dominated most of the game," said Avs captain Gabriel Landeskog. "If we bring that same start tonight and make sure we capitalize on some of our chances, then we should be in for a good night. We know the two points are going to be real important, they just past us in the standings so it should be a good one."
The contest is the third of the Avalanche's season-long, five-game homestand. When the Avalanche returns from the break, it will host the Vancouver Canucks on Feb. 2 and the Columbus Blue Jackets on Feb. 5.
"I think a break is good for our bodies and for our minds. Recharge and rest up," said Landeskog. "If everyone makes sure to take care of yourself and make sure every body is ready to go when we get back, then it can't be a bad thing.
"We just got to make sure that we know [there are] two big points on the line tonight and then go rest up for a week or so and then come back hungry to push for the stretch."

ALL STARS ABOUT TO HEAD WEST

Following the game, three of Colorado's forwards will head to San Jose for the 2019 NHL All-Star Game. Nathan MacKinnon was voted the captain for the Central Division, Mikko Rantanen was selected to his first All-Star Game and Gabriel Landeskog was selected by the fans to be the Central's "Last Man In."
"It should be fun…to get to go with Mikko and Nate should be a lot of fun," said Landeskog. "I have never been before. I went my first rookie year and I just did the young guns skills competition and that was it. I am very grateful and thankful that the fans voted me in. That is something that I take a lot of pride in and I am very excited about, so it should be a good time."
Landeskog leads the team with a career-high 29 goals, MacKinnon is the first Avalanche player to serve as an All-Star Game captain since Joe Sakic wore the 'C' for the Western Conference in 2007 and Rantanen leads the Avs and is tied for second in league scoring with 73 points (23 goals, 50 assists) so far this campaign.
This year marks the first time that three Colorado players will participate in an All-Star Game since 2003-04, when Rob Blake, Sakic and Alex Tanguay competed for the Western Conference in the game in Minnesota.

LINEUP NOTES

Philipp Grubauer will be between the pipes for Colorado this evening in his first start since Jan. 8 at the Winnipeg Jets.
The Avalanche will also make a change on defense as Ryan Graves will replace Mark Barberio on the blue line. Graves was recalled from the Colorado Eagles of the American Hockey League on Thursday.
View: Avalanche Projected Lineup vs. Wild